Soldier buried in Netherlands 80 years after death

A soldier from North Yorkshire who was killed during World War Two has been laid to rest with full military honours 80 years after his death.

Hundreds gathered earlier for the service for Pte Henry Moon, of Filey, and also Lt Dermod Anderson, who was born in South Africa, at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery in the Netherlands.

The burial service, which involved military rifle salutes and wreath-layings, took place as part of a series of commemorations this week to mark 80 years since the Battle of Arnhem.

Pte Moon’s great nephew David Snowdon, who gave a reading during the service, said it was “very humbling”.

Speaking after the service, he said: “We were just expecting a very small number of individuals but there were hundreds, so it was a very humbling experience and the effort that has gone in from the Commonwealth, it is astounding.

“My grandfather and my other great-uncle never talked about him very much, they would get very upset as he died when he was only 21 years old in Arnhem and we never really learnt very much about him, so in this process we have found out about how he died and also about how he got to this point and it has been very educational and quite an emotive experience.

“I am very proud of his bravery as it must have been terrifying, especially as he died during a battle where the Germans fought back.”

Pte Moon was also part of the Green Howards, which has now been merged with the rest of the Yorkshire Regiment.

The Battle of Arnhem was part of Operation Market Garden, an Allied plan to force a route into Germany from the Netherlands during World War Two, with the battle taking place between 17 and 25 September 1944.

But by the end of the week, Arnhem remained in Nazi hands and nearly 2,000 Commonwealth and Allied soldiers were killed.

Pte Moon and Lt Anderson were both part of the airborne offensive aimed at securing strategically-important crossings over the Rhine.

Minister for Veterans and Personnel Al Carns said the “burial of two World War Two soldiers in Arnhem this week reminds us of the price paid to restore peace to western Europe”.

Minister of Defence war detective Tracey Bowers said it was a “privilege to identify these fallen soldiers and to give them the dignified burials they deserve while offering closure to their families”.

She added: “I am grateful to the Dutch Recovery and Identification Unit for their dedicated work, and for the help many local people have given us.

“It is lovely having so many family members present today to make these services truly personal.”

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